Dr. Mehta discusses the “leaky pipeline” for female urologists

Author(s):

Key Takeaways

Female urologists face significant barriers to career advancement, including lower promotion rates and fewer leadership roles compared to male colleagues.
The lack of female representation in leadership positions can deter women from entering or remaining in the field of urology.
Mentorship and visible female leadership are crucial for attracting and retaining women in the urological workforce.

"If we do not see people that look like us in positions of leadership, that is not a field that we're going to want to enter," says Akanksha Mehta, MD, MS.

In this interview, Akanksha Mehta, MD, MS, discusses the “leaky pipeline” for female urologists, which she and her colleagues outline in their recent publication, “The past, present and future of women in the Unites States urological workforce”. Mehta is an assistant professor of urology and the director of male reproductive health at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia.

Video Transcript:

We were trying to illustrate the idea that although more women are entering the field of urology and staying within academia disproportionately compared with private practice, they do not quite get that same boost in terms of career advancement that some of their male colleagues do in the world of academic medicine. For example, women are less likely to be promoted, both overall and certainly less likely to be promoted at the same rate as some of their male colleagues. They are less likely to hold leadership positions, whether that be program director positions, or chair positions, or division directors, or other leadership roles at their institutions. This can be very disheartening for qualified individuals who have been through the same training [and have] the same experience, and do not get those same opportunities for career advancement. It can certainly put physicians at risk for leaving that academic setting, just given the increased frustration with their lack of professional advancement, and it may even place some women at risk for leaving the field of urology altogether, which would be a shame.

I also want to add that seeing women in positions of leadership is essential to be able to attract more women into urology. I never appreciated that as a trainee myself, at least when I was applying into urology, but definitely appreciated it more when I was towards the end of my training. And I certainly appreciate it now, as I try to mentor other women trainees to enter this field. If we do not see people that look like us in positions of leadership, that is not a field that we're going to want to enter.

This transcription has been edited for clarity.